In January 2021, GMU PTW faculty Dr. Lourdes Fernandez and Dr. Heidi Lawrence will launch a new professional certificate in technical writing in collaboration with the association the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE).
In development since spring 2020, the certificate offers students an opportunity to gain professional badges and micro-credentials though a series of courses in key competencies in professional and technical writing. Course offerings include: Writing Fundamentals, Plain Language, Understanding Audiences, Oral Presentations, Fundamentals of Grammar and Editing, Principles of Proposal Writing, and Communication in Organizations. The courses were developed by Dr. Fernandez and Dr. Lawrence, and Dr. Fernandez will be teaching the first series of courses beginning this spring. All courses will be taught online.
Students have a choice to take courses a-la carte, take clusters of courses, or complete the entire series of courses to earn the full Advanced Technical Writing certificate and badge. These courses have been developed in coordination with Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) at GMU and with the support of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS). All of the course materials are geared toward the needs of fire service and related public safety professionals.
Registration opens December 1 and courses begin January 25. See the CPSE website for more information: https://cpse.org/projects/technicalwriting/